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Category: collaborations

I decided to add another fun topic to my blog because well, I wanted to and because there are some things I think would be fun to talk about with within this category. This specific category will be called “Thinking Out Loud” & I will post it on Sundays! basically this will integrate my thoughts for the week, current events (preferably around fitness/health), my opinions on certain things in the industry, it might talk on my experiences or tell a story, it might be discussing things outside of the scope of fitness/health, it could be about anything really that doesn’t already fit into my other categories (which I will name at the end of this post) so hopefully all of you will enjoy it greatly because I am looking forward to it myself.

ALSO…For those of you who may not follow my soundcloud account, I have decided that I also want to add another category based off of my podcast & it will be “Tuesday Fitness/health advice & tips” so I will continue my podcast series but will be adding this to the blog as well now because I want everyone to benefit from this 🙂 Which this basically is going to be me giving you advice & tips and also be answering questions that maybe people have asked me or have for me now that could be helpful for others.

ALSO, ALSO… My podcast is supposed to have interviews, current events, Q & A on Saturdays, but I have been slacking and yet to do that, so not only will that continue (as soon as I find ways to get that going) but WHEN and IF I have time, I will be adding guest post to my blog (which is nothing new) but haven’t done it in a LONG time. Yikes! sorry. but this will take place on Saturday’s or Sundays possibly – the way I will go about it, is I just have a list of over 100 DIFFERENT TOPICS I want to write about written down and some are meant for guest post and some are meant for me to write about – so basically if I come to you about writing something for me, it is because I feel like you could be a good person to discuss that particular topic BUT this does not mean I don’t allow people to write guest post otherwise, because I have had people come to me about wanting to guest post (which is fine) but I am just really picky because this blog is my baby! lol so don’t take offense if I don’t accept your topic or request to write a post on my blog, because I like to be choosy because I worked my ass off on this blog like everyone else on theirs.

ALSO, ALSO, ALSO.. LOL.. I have been doing Review Wednesday’s on YouTube (so yes, I will be adding them to the blog regularly on Wed whenever I do them)

So with this all being said and laid out, I am hoping going into this new year, my blog will continue to grow, and give everyone something to read about that they are interested in no matter what journey they are on as far as fitness/health goes.

Thursday: Recipes (a lot of times I will share this recipe on Saturday’s blog post for recipes so don’t be shocked if they turn out to be the same thing at times because not everyone follows my blog or podcast.. so I want everyone to hear and see the same things)

Friday: no podcast

Saturday: Interviews, Q & A, current events, misc

Sunday: no podcast

If anyone has any questions about these two schedules, let me know! As far as YOUTUBE goes, my schedule has not been completely made yet, so when I have that organized, I will be sure to post that schedule as well.

Keep in mind that I work two jobs and I have studies & with holidays coming up and growing my brand, I will be busy and I might miss days of the week or have to post certain topics on other days because I am hella busy like everyone else in the world, don’t get mad at me, I am only human and I will do my best to continue making fun content that engages all of you! I love all my bloggers and readers and appreciate all of you for being my #1’s 🙂

So I am not sure how many of you have pets, particularly dogs, but I love them!I came across this infographic from PuppySpot on how dogs can be great to add to your workouts. I don’t have any pets as of yet, but my family does (a rat terrier) and while it would be awesome if the little thing would allow me to hold him long enough to do strength workouts, he makes for a great running partner and walking partner for sure. Not to mention it is said that dogs can really increase your dopamine levels, so if you are having a sad or upsetting day, a dog can come handy (unless you are allergic of course). Anyways, I hope all of you enjoy this infographic as much as I have and use it to your disposal.

Today’s post is a bit different, I wanted to do something fun and also something new. I hooked up with another blogger (whom has done a guest post for me in previous months) and came to her asking if she would be interested in doing something like this, where we each ask each other 5-10 questions about each other’s country and/or state and have that person answer them. Hopefully all of you will enjoy this little activity I came up with. I am from Ohio and she resides in Kenya, and if any of you have questions for either one of us, feel free to leave a comment here or at her page https://lifesfinewhine.wordpress.com/

My Questions for her/ her answers:

What is your favorite cuisine in Kenya?

Probably Ugali and Sukuma! I can’t live without Ugali!

Are there any animals going extinct in Kenya or becoming endangered, if so, which ones?

The African Lion, Cheetah, Zebra, Black Rhinos and the African Elephant. We need to take much better care of our animals and it’s very sad to see how much the wildlife in this country has declined in just the last few years. For more information on this please check here: http://www.kenya-advisor.com/wildlife-in-kenya.html and please try to learn on the internet how you can adopt and help save the animals.

Special holidays your country celebrates?

We have something called Madaraka day on June 1st which celebrates the heroes who for fought for independence and is the day Kenya attained internal self rule in 1964.

What do young teens and/or young adults have to do for fun in Kenya?

Well if you’re an extrovert there are plenty of clubs, bars and restaurants where you can hang out and have fun in the cities. If you prefer the nature there are lots of animal parks and orphanages, safaris, and other fun places to visit.

What languages does the population of Kenya speak?

There are about 42 tribes in Kenya each of whom speak their own language and there are some tribes that speak more than one language so there are a lot of languages that are spoken in Kenya however most people speak Swahili and English.

What religions are popular in Kenya?

The most popular religions are Christianity, Islam and Hinduism however there are other religions in Kenya too.

Is finding employment hard in Kenya?

Depending on what you do for a living and your level of education finding a good job in Kenya can be either very easy or incredibly difficult. If you do something like accounting or medicine it is probably easier for you to get a job whereas if you do something in Arts like History or Literature there are not as many job opportunities.

How old does someone have to be in order to smoke & drink alcohol?

Eighteen.

Her Questions for me/ I answered:

What’s your favorite American food? I like Italian dishes, and Mexican food. But if you mean “American”, I would say probably a hamburger! Like something about eating a hamburger with whatever toppings really makes me drool – I have tried so many different ones and they have been delicious.

Many People Come to America seeking the “American Dream”, but do you think the “American dream” is real anymore? I think the “American dream” depends on the person these days, I don’t necessarily believe in the American dream like most people did back when, but I do believe in being successful and happy in whatever you choose to do.

What was the best place you have travelled to in America, and why? I liked both Colorado and Pittsburg, for different reasons. Colorado had a lot of outdoor activities that I enjoyed (hiking, camping, nature/wildlife, viewing sites, etc) and I was not used to all of that growing up, so it was a nice change and not to mention where I resided in Colorado at the time it was fairly more diverse than where I reside now – different walks of life. I like Pittsburg because I enjoyed the HUGE city, and being able to see some important monuments, festivals, restaurants. I liked the whole fast paced life that most seemed to live, and the jollies of visiting different parts of Pittsburg, definitely different than what I am used to.

What is Ohio best known for (besides having an awesome fitness blogger living there)? Ohio is known for our state bird the Cardinal, our buckeye trees (and buckeyes taste so good), for our football team (The Ohio State Buckeyes), for the state flower – the carnation. The American Football Hall of Fame (Canton, OH), our amusement park – Cedar Point, Ohio has been home to at least 8 Presidents and some other famous well known people.

What’s one place in America you really want to see?: I don’t know of any ONE place I want to see, I have so many I want to see. I need to do more traveling! I want to visit some of the warmer states and perhaps visit NY city as well, just to say I have. I wouldn’t mind hiking some of the more popular places in America. I would love to visit each state’s zoo, lol.

No one has to live with regret during the holiday fun, don’t allow your old habits to come back and bite you, instead consider planning out your festivities in advance, don’t change your workout habits on the account of turkey and apple pie, make people aware of your progress for support, if things get to be hard, consider using one or more of the 10 suggestions.

This is a blog collaboration written by Shay-lon (Fitnessgrad) and Jen (Gojenbefit). You can learn more about both of them below:

Hello everyone, my name is Shay-lon. I am the writer behind https://fitness9555.wordpress.com/, I am a fitness/health blogger, degree in exercise science and working on my personal training certification. I don’t like telling people what to do with their bodies and mind, I would much rather cater to my audience and clients with helpful suggestions and providing a starting point. I struggled with body shaming throughout my life without actually knowing what it was. My story is upside down, because I was considered “thin” and that just goes to show no matter your body type, someone out there won’t like it. I provide a means for people to feel this internal boost of confidence, I want men and women to focus on having a positive outlook on their bodies & with that I also want men and women to have a positive mindset. “Nothing will be perfect, I know this, I just want to know that I made you smile, walk with a hint of confidence and not be afraid to be who you are” -Shay-lon Moss

I am Jen. I’m the creator behind https://gojenbefit.com/ which was developed about 1 year and a half ago, to document my weight loss journey. I have loss 95 lbs, going from 242 lbs to 147 lbs. I am a fitness blogger and AFAA/NASM Certified Group Fitness Instructor. Now my new journey is to help as many people as possible jumpstart their weight loss journey and/or lifestyle. Onhttps://gojenbefit.com/ you can find weight loss tips, tricks, and overall wellness content. I post new content every Wednesday, check it out. Also, get your free weight loss and goal setting downloadable worksheets in “The Library”

Here are 10 Suggestions on How to Avoid the Holiday Plump

Suggestion by Shay-lon (Fitnessgrad)

Don’t stack your plate high with food, think about it, if it doesn’t fit on the plate properly, probably something you can wait for later. Nothing wrong with going back for seconds, but no reason to stack a plate high (thinking you will need to finish the food when you might be full)

Don’t change your workout habits, if your someone who works out 4 times a week, don’t change it because of the holidays, plan your workouts around your holiday plans; stick with your routine (don’t make excuses)

Have an accountability partner. The holidays can be tough, actually the toughest period of time for people who want to stay within their fitness/health goals. You might have gone this long with no accountability partner because you didn’t need one, you kept yourself disciplined. During the holidays everything you worked hard for can go out the window because you are focused on having a good time and don’t think nothing of the choices you make, that is usually when you make decisions that you regret later on. I would say having someone who helps to keep you accountable will be a life saver! Trust me, not everything can be done alone.

Watch your alcohol consumption, you don’t need a drink to have a good time. Although if you drink wine and take shots like I do, then you will know that you need to have yourself a limit so that you don’t go overboard. What is a party if your blacked out in the bathroom? Lol

Eat until you’re full, not beyond that. I say this for many reasons. On the holidays some people are social eaters, they will eat even when not hungry as long as others are doing the same thing. Secondly, forcing yourself to eat more food after you are full is not healthy and can cause issues. Thirdly, many of you will have more than one party to attend on the same day, it is okay to eat at the parties, but you don’t have to eat at both parties (you are not rude for not wanting to eat at one party because you ate at the other), it is okay to say “no thank you”, some people feel obligated to eat at every event because they don’t want to come off “rude”. Truth be told, most people will understand once you explain to them that you have eaten previous to their party.

Suggestions By Jen (Gojenbefit)

Invites: Monitor the invites that you accept. You don’t have to attend every holiday festivity that comes around.

Decide: If you are going to attend a party or holiday festivity make sure to decide what you will eat BEFORE you arrive and stick to it.

Get Active: During the holiday sessions it get a little chilly and the last thing any of us want to do is get ready and hit the gym in the cold. I suggest a at home workout DVD or create your own circuit. For example : 10 squats, 10 jumping jacks, 10 mountain climbers (Do each 5 times at your own personal pace ) you just got in a mini workout in the comfort of your own home

BYOF: Bring your own food. It’s okay if you attend an even and bring something you can snack on so that you don’t indulge in all the goodies that are available (you can have some but NOT all lol)

Leave some: If you count calories make sure to leave some calories available so that you can have some goodies at the holiday parties. For example: Your calorie intake is 1500 and you know you are attending a party tonight. Eat 1,000 calories throughout the day and leave the 500 for grandma’s famous pie or dad’s secret stuffing.

Here’s Our experiences with the Holidays and how do we handle it

Shay- Lon’s Experience for the Holidays & how she handles it:

I got lucky with a big family, plenty of food and multiple gatherings during the holidays. I have to admit, it isn’t normally a happy ending when I am finished eating, I tend to pack my plate with the goods, come back for more, and drown myself in god knows what kind of drinks. I typically don’t think twice about what I am eating and why, I just fall asleep and wake up the next morning regretting my decision to fall face first into a pot of mac & cheese and turkey, licking the leftover apple pie from my fingers. Seriously, I am “that” chick on the holidays. I “used” to be anyways, followed by my obsession to check the mirror to see how much weight went to my stomach, it is not a life to live, let me tell you. I find it strange that this year, I am going to do things completely different, I mean last year I said this same exact thing and ended up with a hangover. Lol. Hmm something tells me I am on a losing streak, but don’t give up on me now, I am only human. This year I have things planned out and I will hold myself accountable, I have gotten better at saying “no” and have done a better job at watching what I eat since I do IIFYM. I am going to handle it like a “boss”, and I’m not going to regret my decisions, I will watch my portions on my plate, be more attentive to what is in my cup, slow down on the apple pie, eat at a decent time, include my workouts on the holidays, and allow my family to know how far I have come so they can support my decisions in my eating habits and exercise. I would say that is all a great start, so join me this holiday, and let’s get through this together. I have faith in you! Have faith in me too!

Jen’s Experience for the Holidays & how she handles it:

During the holidays it is hard for me to not indulge in the sweets because I work in an office where people are constantly baking goodies all year around but it triples during the holidays and I am a sucker for anything sweet. I have had my few shares of too many sweets, but I negate it with staying active and packing my own lunches. I usually pop in a workout DVD when I don’t want to head to the gym. There are days I wake up, shower and head to the gym because if I don’t do it that way, then I just won’t go. There are times when I pack my own lunches but sticking to it is the hard part, I am a true believer that if you calculate your calories wisely you can have what you packed for lunch and still leave room for if you want a small brownie. I make a huge effort to log my food so I can know what I have eaten and to see what else I can have. I hope that at least 1 of our suggestions is useful to you.

Best of Luck!

If you have read this far………..

Giveaway time:

Answer this question in the comments. How do you avoid gaining extra pounds during the holidays?

We will pick a winner and email you a $5 e-Starbucks card! By Tuesday October 26tth, 2016